ON THK ABSORPTION OF CATARACTS. 
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universal applicability, l am content to claim for it the advantage 
of being applicable in a vast number of cases, in which horses go 
tender and feeling in common shoes: how far it may prevent, as 
well as ameliorate, those cases, it remains for a more lengthened 
experience to decide. 
ON THE ABSORPTION OF CATARACTS. 
By W. W. Cooper, Esq. Surgeon to the Hon. Artillery Company . 
There having been some misapprehension on my part, as to 
Mr. Cartwright’s meaning, in my former communication upon 
the subject of Non-Absorption of the Capsule of the Crystalline 
Lens, l am induced to trouble you with a few more remarks upon 
a subject which is — as every thing relating to so important an 
organ as the eye must be — highly interesting. 
The point in question would appear to be, “ whether small 
cataracts, from the size of a coriander seed downwards, and which 
are supposed by veterinary surgeons to be capsular, are ever 
absorbed, and the capsule becomes transparent again.” 
These small cataracts are, I presume, partial opacities of the 
capsule, and are not uncommon in the human subject. I have 
a case now under my observation which illustrates the point 
beautifully. In the centre of the pupil of each eye a white spot 
may be discerned, and upon careful examination this is clearly 
seen to be an opacity of the capsule of the lens, that body being 
evidently immediately posterior to it. These opacities have ex- 
isted for some time, and are slowly but decidedly increasing. 
I have never yet observed, although my attention has been 
directed to the subject, and I have examined a considerable 
number of cases, — I have never yet observed, in the human sub- 
ject, a decided opacity of the lenticular capsule to disappear. 
Instances have come under my notice of lymph being deposited 
upon the capsule during iritis, and closely resembling in appear- 
ance an opacity of that membrane, which lymph has been after- 
wards absorbed ; but these spurious cataracts must not be con- 
founded with the genuine. This leads me to the question “ whether 
lenticular cataracts ever become absorbed in the human subject, 
leaving the eye transparent.” 
Without saying that such an event is impossible, l am not aware 
of any really well-authenticated case upon record. We certainly 
hear of remedies to cure cataract without operation, and ever and 
anon these are stated to have worked wonders ; but I fear the 
cases related will not bear investigation: and the simple fact 
